Drug racket: Gaba’s diary may land Akali CPS in trouble

The probe by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) into the multi-crore drug racket in Punjab may brew more trouble for the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). The name of a chief parliamentary secretary from Doaba region is reportedly mentioned in a diary of a businessman already under the lens in the case.

ED sources said the agency got vital information from the diary recovered by the income tax (IT) department during a raid at the house of Goraya-based businessman Chunni Lal Gaba. This diary, whose copy the ED had obtained from I-T sleuths after fighting a legal battle in May, has an entry of delivery of money to a CPS on page 67. It also shows an apparent attempt to “delete the name by overwriting”; but it can still be seen, said the source. Notably, this CPS’s close aide was recently interrogated by the Punjab police secretly in Jalandhar.

As per the entry allegedly made by Gaba in Punjabi, a few lakhs have been shown added to the delivery in the account of the CPS, showing the total delivery as Rs 48 lakh. HT was given access to that portion of the diary.

“It’s now a subject of investig ation whether this entry was deleted by Gaba himself or by some other person after the diary was recovered by I-T sleuths from Gaba’s house in February this year.

Apparently, in the investigation it has emerged that the deletion and entry have been made with two different pens,” said a senior ED functionary from Chandigarh.

Following these pointers, the ED last week has again filed a fresh plea in the special court in Patiala demanding forensic test of the entry specifically. The original diary is still with the I-T department. The next date for that hearing is scheduled on July 4.